Category: News

Scientific discoveries and technological advancements have always been a double-edged sword. Nuclear fission gave us a powerful source of clean energy and as well as the most destructive weapons humanity has ever seen. The internet gave us unparalleled access to the entire library of human knowledge and also unparalleled exploitation and porn. Social media has connected people around the world in ways previous generations barely dreamed of and also resulted in a toxic online culture that threatens to shred the fabric of society.

Now, after several dozen movies imagining the best and worst-case scenarios, we’re at that fork in the road with Artificial Intelligence. The sudden leap in AI tech hitting the mainstream has us all wondering what comes next. But for all the AI fear and uncertainty, there are some pretty incredible, humanity-boosting ways it is being used that may signal some hope for that future.

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For instance, AI is allowing facial expressions to control computers. Case in point: a project inspired by quadriplegic video game streamer Lance Carr, whose rare form of muscular dystrophy only allows him to control his face and head movements. Carr had been using a head-tracking mouse (an expensive piece of accessibility equipment controlled by head movement) for gaming, but after his house caught fire during a livestream on Twitch in 2021, he lost everything.

“Video games are my link to the world,” Carr explained in a video describing the project. “But I had to stop gaming because this house burnt down along with my adaptive equipment.”

Carr got connected with some folks at Google to co-design Project Gameface, a fittingly-named tool that allows users to use facial movements as game controls. Linking several different AI models together, the project uses a mesh of 468 points on your face and converts them into telemetry to make mouse movements and clicks. For instance, raising your eyebrows can make the mouse drag or click and opening your mouth can move the cursor.

The best part is that since the project is open source and only requires a webcam for input, it will be widely accessible to people who want or need to use it. And for those who don’t have full use of their limbs, it may be a game-changer as it has been for Carr.

“Muscular dystrophy takes, and this actually added an ability,” he said. “So it’s the first time I’ve gained something in a physical sense.” He shared that the technology is so precise that he’s able to write his name in cursive using only his face through a webcam.

Watch:

Though Google says it’s still in development, they have made it available for preview through GitHub for people who want to give it a spin and help contribute to its improvement.

The potential dangers of AI may be making people nervous, but let’s be sure not to throw the baby out with the bathwater. In the hands of people who are focused on helping humanity progress wisely and responsibly, AI can be a powerful, life-changing tool that makes people’s lives better.

As Lance Carr said, “My hope is to definitely give this technology to everybody who could use it,” the gamer added. “I just want to make a lot of people’s lives better and easier.”

Here’s to those using ever-advancing technology for good.

The Flash was supposed to be a sure thing. Warner Bros. Discovery so believed in the big solo film for Justice League member Barry Allen that they stood by Ezra Miller, its troubled star, through thick and thin — even as they pulled the plug on the nearly completed Batgirl. The film, they hoped, would help save the flailing DCEU. It was supposed to be massive. And then came opening weekend, when it was up to moviegoers to decide its fate.

They showed up alright, but not in the numbers WBD had hoped. The corporation was hoping for $70-$75 million opening weekend. As per Deadline, they got $55.1 million. For the four-day holiday weekend, the projection is only $64 million. Not even the Cinemascore is that good, with audiences giving it only a B.

What happened will be debated in the days and weeks and months to come. Perhaps Miller’s antics — running amok in Hawaii, robbery, possibly starting a cult, before finally agreeing to seek help last summer — may have done even more damage to the film’s reputation than once assumed. Perhaps few were that excited to see a Flash movie, even one that brings back an old Batman. Perhaps superhero fatigue is truly setting in.

In other news, Pixar had a rare bomb with Elemental, which only scared up $29.5 million (but which nabbed an A on Cinemascore). At least Asteroid City, the latest from Wes Anderson, had great news. Opening in only six locations, it made $790K over three days, with its four day tally estimated to be $890K. That gives it the best per-screen average since La La Land in 2016.

(Via Deadline)

Nikola Jokic has ridden quite an emotional rollercoaster this week, going from the high of winning his first NBA title to the low of learning he cannot simply go home and hang out with his horses because of the championship parade to finding out that, actually, he loves championship parades.

The two-time MVP even stuck around for the post-parade celebration in Vegas, where he danced and was apparently the reason Bruce Brown was non-functional the next morning.

However, the clock was ticking on his return home as he had business to attend to on Sunday. That’s the day his beloved horses race, as he explained to the NBA TV panel on Monday night after winning the title, joking he might need to borrow the team plane to get him back home in time for the races. Whether he got the Kroenke’s plane or managed to make his own travel arrangements, he was able to do just that on Sunday, as he was in attendance to watch his horses in action.

For one, this is an incredible fit he’s pulling off, looking like a gigantic, Serbian Adam Sandler with a polo, yellow gym shorts, and a very good “No Jokic” hat. Hopefully his horses did well, but this is a man who looks like he has a good time at the track no matter the outcome and will be back each Sunday throughout the summer now that his job is done.

“Make America Great Again” may be Donald Trump’s official slogan, but he has a favorite chant, too. During his 2016 campaign, the then-future president pounced on Hillary Clinton’s alleged mishandling of classified information. Thus “Lock her up!” was born. Not only was Trump wrong about Clinton, who was later cleared of any wrongdoing, but it might come back to bite him in the butt now that he’s been accused of [drum roll] mishandling classified information.

As per The Wall Street Journal, the case brought against Trump by Jack Smith has to prove that Trump knew that the boxes of documents he held onto “could be harmful to the U.S. if shared, mishandled or misplaced.” How does one prove that? Well, look at his old campaign speeches:

Drawing on Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign against Clinton, who was the Democratic nominee, Smith’s team has a trove of evidence in the form of Trump’s own words that can be presented to the jury to argue that Trump knew there were serious penalties for mishandling national-security information and should have known better than to leave the White House with boxes full of nuclear secrets, military plans and intelligence reports, as the indictment alleges.

Indeed, five separate statements Trump made during his 2016 campaign were amongst the evidence used when he was hit with criminal charges. Should the case go to trial, they could all be used as evidence against him. In one of those statements, from August 18 of that year, Trump was pretty clear: “In my administration I’m going to enforce all laws concerning the protection of classified information. No one will be above the law.”

In other words: Whoops.

(Via WSJ)

Friendship is wonderful. In my four decades, I’ve had more than my fair share of close, supportive, ride-or-die friends who have helped shape me and carry me through it all. Friendship has played a huge role in my life, which is why the viral “7 friends theory” social media trend caught my eye.

It’s also why I’m calling b.s. on the whole idea.

The “7 friends theory” posits that there are seven friends you need in your life:

1. The friend you’ve had since you were little
2. The friend who makes you laugh in all situations
3. The friend you might not talk to for a long time, but nothing changes
4. The friend you can tell anything without judgment
5. The friend who feels like a sister (or brother)
6. The friend you can’t imagine not being your life
7. The friend you share all of your dating/relationship problems with.

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The wording on this seven-item checklist changes slightly with different videos, but the gist is always the same. Here are a few examples that got millions of views on TikTok:

@slothyrach

luv this💛🥰😁 #CapCut

@lysscausey

7 bridesmaids for a reason 🥹🤍#CapCut #bride #married #wedding #bridesmaids #7friendtheory #2023bride #bestfriend

Seems nice, doesn’t it? With all the warm vibes and the feel-good music and the sweet friendship photos?

Sorry to burst anyone’s bubble here, but this trend isn’t as cute and harmless as it seems. Friendship? Yay. Seven specific kinds of friends? Boo.

First of all, this is based on nothing. There’s no research on friendship behind this “theory.” It’s just something someone made up. That alone doesn’t make it problematic, but let’s at least start by calling it what it is.

Secondly, if we’re going to ascribe a specific number to something, there should be a legitimate reason for doing so. Otherwise, it’s meaningless at best and creates anxiety at worst. What if you don’t have these exact seven kinds of friends? Are you missing something in life? Will you never have the soundtrack-backed warm glow of these bestie moments if you only have, say, four good friends? What if you have friends who don’t really fit any of these categories? Are those friendships less than?

Numbering something should be purposeful, and the number seven is totally arbitrary here. Great for getting people to click on a video, but not so great for actually analyzing friendships.

Speaking of analyzing, what exactly is the value in categorizing friendship in this way? Different friends fulfill different roles and meet different needs in our lives, so I’m not saying all friendships are the same, but that’s not the same as saying you need friends who fit specific categories.

And if we are going to create specific categories, there’s a whole lot that are missing here. Where’s the friend who organizes the meal train when you’re sick or grieving? The friend who checks in when you’ve gone quiet for a while? The friend who always tells you the truth even when you don’t want to hear it? The friend you want with you in the delivery room? The friend you can happily sit in total silence with?

There are just so many different ways that friendship can be experienced and expressed, why specify these seven? Again, it’s totally arbitrary, especially when most friends fit multiple categories anyway.

We already have enough idealistic standards being pushed on us by social media, and this feels like just one more. It’s especially problematic for young people, and they’re the ones who are making and responding to these videos. How many teens are now looking at their own friendships and feeling bad that they don’t have seven close friends or that one or more of those categories remain unfulfilled for them?

Tip for the young folks: Don’t let this kind of thing seep into your psyche. Not even a little bit.

One thing you learn with time and experience is that most friendships shift, morph and change, and that’s OK. Some friendships are strong for a few seasons and then life moves you in different directions. The love doesn’t leave, but the everyday closeness does. That’s OK. Some friendships go through peaks and valleys and some friendships disappear and reemerge over and over. That’s OK, too.

Some people find they only have and only need a tiny handful of friends. Some people collect friendships like baseball cards. It’s all OK. Friendship doesn’t have to look a specific way or fulfill some arbitrary criteria in order to have value to us.

The “7 friends theory” may make for some cute, clickable social media virality, but it’s more harmful than helpful when it comes to friendship. Be happy with the friends you have in the moment, don’t count or overanalyze them and definitely don’t let TikTok trends influence how you feel about yourself or the people you love.

No other mammal is as varied in size, shape, color and features as domestic dogs. If you put a Chihuahua and a Puli in front of an alien, they would never guess they were the same kind of animal. Seriously, how can a Dachshund, a Poodle and a Samoyed all be the same species?

Some dog breed origins are somewhat discernible by the location clues in their names, such as Newfoundlands, Labrador Retrievers, Alaskan Malamutes and Great Danes. Other names have recognizable regional language roots, like the Shih Tzu and Shiba Inu. We associate Poodles with the French and Huskies with the Arctic, but there are over 450 dog breeds the world over. Where did they all come from?

It could take hours to explore the vast history of dog breeds, but a video from BioArk offers a fascinating and entertaining overview in less than 20 minutes.

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The story of domesticated dogs began more than 23,000 years ago when nomadic peoples started giving wolves table scraps. Since then, dogs have evolved alongside humans as our loyal companions, hunting helpers and protectors, but most modern dog breeds bear little resemblance to their wolf ancestors.

Some evolutionary change and adaptation are to be expected over thousands of years, of course, but that doesn’t explain the enormous variety in dog breeds in a relatively short period of time. While dog breeds originated on basically every continent, a good percentage of the dogs we know today came from what’s known as the Victorian Explosion, when intentional dog breeding intensified and expanded in the British Isles in the 19th century. Even so, as the video explains, each dog breed’s unique history almost acts like a microcosm of the history of the culture it came from.

Check out BioArk’s “Where Every Dog Breed Came From” for the full overview:

Music festivals are supposed to be one of the most joyous parts of summer. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case for nearly a half-dozen attendees at Beyond Wonderland 2023. According to CNN, two people attending the electronic dance music festival were tragically killed, while three others were injured following a mass shooting on Saturday, June 17.

The event held at The Gorge (also known as Gorge Amphitheatre) in Washington State was slated to be a multi-day experience for electronic music lovers from across the world. It’s not the first music event to end fatally, whether at a venue or at open grounds.

Beyond Wonderland released a statement saying there “was no current danger to festivalgoers or the campgrounds.” But as more details began to surface, that quickly changed.

Eventually festival heads reached a major decision. “Due to the incident that took place in the overflow camping area last night, we regret to inform you that day two of Beyond Wonderland at The Gorge has been canceled,” they said in a subsequent statement.

They also shared compassion with the victims of the shooting. “We would like to express our sincere appreciation to the local authorities and staff who acted quickly to manage that situation. Our heartfelt thoughts and condolences go out to the family, friends, and all those affected by the tragic event,” wrote a festival representative.

Zack Snyder’s post-DCEU life is going swell. After rehabbing Justice League into a well-reviewed epic, he’s found a new home at Netflix, where he directed the hit Army of the Dead. His next project is another biggie: Rebel Moon, a space opera that will be split into two parts. At Tudum this weekend, he and his team debuted a new behind-the-scenes look at what he has in store.

The video shows his cast — including Sofia Boutella, Djimon Hounsou, and Charlie Hunnam — working both on location and in a studio fitted with green screen. The trend these days for sci-fi movies and shows is for what’s called “Virtual Production,” in which digital artists create worlds before they start shooting, allowing cast and crew to work in a “volume.” But the BTS video shows Snyder and company doing it the old-fashioned way: a mix of green screen and the great outdoors.

Based on an original story, Rebel Moon stars Boutella as Kora, a woman trying to stir up the populace against an authoritarian regime, which includes an enforcer played by Ed Skrein. Hounsou, Hunnam, and Doona Bae are some of the fighters Kora recruits to take down the evil empire. The cast also includes Ray Fisher, Michael Huisman, Jena Malone, and Anthony Hopkins.

Rebel Moon will be released on December 22. You can watch the BTS video above.

Coming off of an enticing 2022 season, the brightest glimmer in Atlanta in nearly half a decade, the Dream went out and made a significant splash in the offseason, trading for standout Dallas Wings guard Allisha Gray. At the end of the 2022 season, Gray requested a trade out of Dallas, wanting to find a better fit after spending the first six years of her career in Texas. And as it turns out, Dream star and 2022 WNBA Rookie of the Year Rhyne Howard also wanted Gray to find a new team, too.

“I actually asked (Dream coach Tanisha Wright) to try to get her here, and so when it happened, I was super excited,” Howard tells Dime.

A native of Sandersville, Gray was ecstatic when her agent called her to say she was headed to Georgia, back in her home state and closer her family. The Gateway Center Arena in College Park, the Dream’s home arena, is a few hours away from Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina where Gray played in college — Gamecock fans frequently make their way to watch the Dream, the closest W team to their university.

Roughly a quarter of the way through the 2023 WNBA season, Gray is putting forth a career year. She’s averaging a career-high 18 points per game without a drop in efficiency, and it would not be a surprise if Gray becomes a first-time All-Star.

“You want to be happy when you come into work, and everyday, regardless of what’s going on, the people here are amazing, positive… Coach T brings the same energy every day,” Gray says. “You don’t understand how happy I am here, I feel like a brand new person, I feel like I’m slowly coming out of my shell. It’s actually a blessing that I got traded here, it’s refreshing.”

Opportunity and space to be a more aggressive offensive player has paid dividends for Gray and the Dream as a whole — Gray dropped a career-high 27 points against the Sun in Atlanta’s overtime victory. Wright’s offense is predicated on reading and reacting. It’s less about set plays and more about triggering actions. Gray fits that perfectly, as she is a player who can make good decisions with the ball, drive hard to the rim, and shoot from anywhere on the court. She brings one of the best motors in basketball, and is a tireless and versatile defender.

“She’s growing into this role as a scorer, and she’s gonna have to keep getting a bit more comfortable in that because of what she came from and how she was utilized in Dallas,” Howard says. “We want her to be aggressive, we want her to score. Teams have to focus on both of us.”

Gray was traded to the team in January, and didn’t have a prior relationship with anyone on the Dream. Howard texted her and welcomed her to the team as soon as the trade happened, and the duo have been playing video games together since, particularly bonding over Fortnite. Gray is a big time gamer; she brought her console with her to the Tokyo Olympics, where she won a gold medal in 3×3, and can often be found live-streaming Call of Duty on her Twitch channel.

“I’d never met her in person, and the first time we ever had a conversation was actually over the gaming headset,” Gray says of Howard.

Naz Hillmon, a second-year forward on the Dream, shares an agent with Gray. They’d met at an agency dinner, but got to know each other during the Athletes Unlimited season in Dallas during the spring. Every week, captains would draft a new team and play three games together before rotating and drafting again, with players earning points on the AU leaderboard for in-game accomplishments. Hillmon and Gray played four out of the five weeks on the same team, and that was intentional.

“Naz knew to pick me with her first pick. Second pick, do what you do, but that first pick better have been me or I wouldn’t have been happy,” Gray says before laughing heartily.

“I wanted to build that chemistry together knowing that we’d be coming to Atlanta together,” Hillmon says.

She wanted to find every opportunity she could to learn Gray’s game, find how to better play off one another, and get to know her personality. As the W season has gone on, so has the blossoming friendship between the trio of Gray, Howard, and Hillmon, with Gray being given “no choice but to have fun here” upon her arrival in Atlanta. She’s been roped into TikTok dances, and fans are continually reminded about Goggles Lish, one of Gray’s nicknames due to her on-court eyewear.

They’ve embraced who she is while also bringing her personality and star-power to the forefront. Howard knew Gray was funny, but prior to the trade, she was known for being on the quieter side. As such, Howard made it a point to empower Gray to show off her personality.

“She acts like she’s quiet and she’s got this little Southern accent, but she’s a jokester,” Hillmon says. “She likes to talk trash a little bit to us, not so much on the court. She just has this little sneakiness about her, where if you’re not as close to her, she’s more reserved.”

Hillmon’s even given out a new nickname, Big Al, in recognition of how the first syllable of Gray’s first name is pronounced.

“That’s why she has two L’s!” Hillmon says with a laugh. “I found that out and was like, oh, your name is Big Al. So I’m trying to get Big Al caught on to the rest of the world. I feel like it just fits her.

Gray’s a fan of the new nickname, possibly because she’s just excited to be in Atlanta. She’s excited to be embraced by a new organization and new teammates, and excited to spread her wings as a player in a way she’s known she’s capable of. Her goals include getting that first All-Star nod and make an All-Defense team, and so far, she’s made quite the case for both.

But above all of the individual accolades, Gray has one goal in mind.

“Keep building, being able to win a championship here,” she says. “I feel that’s the key thing. Everybody wants a championship.”

The team is still young and finds itself in the second year of a rebuild. It’s not time to compete for a title quite yet. Instead, this season is about preparing to be ready for that next stage, and embracing Gray has proven to be a pivotal next step in the Dream’s, well, dreams.

Today’s Republican Party is deeply afraid of Donald Trump, and with good reason: He’s still, inexplicably, killing it in the polls, on top of being infamously petty. But so far one rival candidate has been punchy: Chris Christie. When he entered the 2024 presidential race earlier this month, he vowed to come for Trump. And so far he hasn’t.

As per Raw Story, the former New Jersey governor went on CNN Sunday morning, where he torched Trump over saying he’ll hire the best people — Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis — only to fire them after they prove, to him at least, disappointing. In both cases, and more besides, Trump went from hyping them up to calling them mean names.

“If you believe what he said about them in the beginning, the great stuff, that means this person is the worst manager in the history of American presidency,” Christie told host Jake Tapper. “Either way, he’s a petulant child when someone disagrees with him. Whether it’s Bill Barr, General Milley, if you disagree with Donald Trump, the petulant child comes out and he calls you names like the one you just mentioned and the ones I mentioned.”

Christie then twisted the knife further.

“I’m trying to save my party and country from going down the road of being led by three-time loser Donald Trump,” Christie said. “Loser in 2018 by losing the House, loser in 2020 by losing the White House, and the United States Senate, and the worst midterm performance we’ve seen in a long, long time … loser. loser, loser.”

So far most of the GOP pushback against Christie has been fat jokes, but clearly immaturity hasn’t kept him from trying to de-MAGA the GOP.

(Via Raw Story)